Reflections on my commissioning

Today's widow story has me thinking deeply about my own story. It is a different kind of grief though. I told Greg last night that my heart just hurts with what is happening with women in ministry these days. I am not talking about debating whether a woman can be a pastor. I am simply talking about our calling to ministry. I am always caught with surprise that we must get our shackles up over such things. A tree is always known by its fruit. 

In 1995 when I graduated with my Masters degree from SWBTS, I was commissioned by a SBC Church alongside my ministry partner in starting a church plant. He was ordained. I was commissioned. It was the same service, same message, same prayers, and same people laying on hands. I say people because it was both men and women. 

I accepted the rhetoric at the time. Honestly, I didnt know enough to ask questions or I didn't have the maturity to say anything. And it really didn't matter. This SBC regional team recognized God's calling on my life. They were willing to lay hands on me because they saw the movement of God's call upon my life. They affirmed the Holy Spirit in me and set me apart for ministry.

I now know more than ever that there is great weight in laying hands on someone for the call to ministry. This means you bear the weight of both their success and failures. I have had both. 

But, there is also something so powerful about a group saying, "We believe in you. We see the Holy Spirit at work in you. We acknowledge your kingdom value as set apart. We touch you with the intent to pass blessing upon you. We endorse what God is doing and give you the authority to do it. May the Holy Spirit pour out in you and through you to bring unity and build up the fellowship of the saints."

When this happens there is a gift of remembrance that brings about a desire to honor and to fulfill all that has been prayed.

I have never taken lightly my call or commissioning. I work hard to live it simply and sincerely. Through the years God has convicted me over and over to not bury my talents. He has given me many and grown some that have been so unexpected. Again, I have done this well and I have done this poorly. But in it all I seek to move in the Holy Spirit's fruit.

Yet, I shall remain faithful with the talents I have been given. God did not say to me, "Tara, this talent was a gift to only be shared with half of the population." He gave me my talent to use it for His glory. I am to remain faithful to His message that He loves us so much that He sent His Son to live, die, and rise that we might have life. I am called to bear good fruit and not focus on the talent, gender, race, socio-economic status, educational status or even age.

So, I study. I teach what I learn. I open my home. I love on the one who comes. I draw and paint hoping I can tell a story well. I train so others are equipped and able to do likewise. I listen and give counsel usually based on lessons from my own stupidity, suffering, and pain. Begging all the while that I bear good fruit. I want to be an oak of righteousness and I want to grow countless forests wherever I drop seeds of faith. 

In it all, I seek to honor those I serve and partner with. I do everything I can to listen and obey if it gives God glory. I repent often. More than you want to know. But in it all I try to love fully and see each person the way God sees them. I beg for love for those I don't like. Yeah, we all struggle with humans.

I seek to live and bear fruit that can only be born by the Holy Spirit. I pray for His work in me and through me. I beg for His path because I know it will lead me straight to Jesus and set me straight. 

Most of the time I feel awkward because I am so stinking deep in my thoughts. I am more apt to make you cry than laugh. Don't believe me? Ask all the people who come to see me and they dont know why, but they start crying. Lol. It's not me really. It is God's work. He likes to break up those broken places so healing can take place. 

So, yeah, today's widow story has brought out so much in me. Here is the deal. I AM A FEMALE. I AM CALLED BY GOD TO GO MAKE DISCIPLES like the Samaritan woman who led her village to Jesus or like Phoebe who traveled around carrying Romans while reading and explaining it wherever she went. Or like Priscilla as she and her husband, Aquila, discipled Apollos.  

I seek to focus on bearing good fruit. If God should teach someone in the other half of the population through me then all I can say is "If God can use a donkey to save a man's life, He can even use me." 

I am so thankful for the church and regional group that decided to commission me as a ministry leader. And for every church and ministry since that has allowed me to partner shoulder-to-shoulder in the faith. Thank you for believing in me. 

At the moment, I am surprised by how God used the complaining Greek widow's story in Acts 6:1-7 to help me process my grief for how women in ministry are being treated. 

It is my heart cry that it awakens hope for those who might read this. If God can use me, He can use you. 

It is important to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, to be transformed, y'all! 

Shalom. Shalom.

The Wait and Worship of Widowhood (Luke 2:21-40)

Do you struggle with waiting? I know I do. If waiting is for something good, it builds excitement and hope. Well, even longing. But when our waiting takes a long time and it is happening during a time of pain or suffering it can be hard. Real hard.

I was caught this morning by something quite beautiful in the Greek word for "waiting." It is prosechomenos (4327) and if I may take the liberty to give you my summary of its many words used to describe it.

Waiting is a hospitality. Yes hospitality. A spirit of welcome while living in acceptance and endurance. 

I have really come to love the words welcome and hospitality because they truly describe God's heart for all people.

So, this morning as I studied my next story in the widow series (Luke 2:221-40), I was so excited to catch this principle as a life principle.

Most will quickly passover the story of Simeon and Anna in the temple because it is about old people and might think, "What can I learn from them?"

Before I say anything about widows, we need to know that we do not know if Simeon is a widower, but most assume he is because of the narrative cues in being paired with Anna and the similarities of their context. Either way, I would like to propose their life model is good for all of us not just widows. So look and listen.

Simeon was waiting for the promised Messiah. He had a spirit of welcome with a hospitality of acceptance and endurance that included listening to the Holy Spirit and obeying His holy nudges when it came to seeing and even holding onto the Messiah, Jesus. His willingness "to wait" gave him opportunity to "be" with the Savior of the world, our Comforter, our Prince of Peace and to know the delight of cuddling Him to his chest as he declared scripture over Him. 

Simeon's listening to the Holy Spirit and obedience to His nudging moved him into the presence of the Light of the world.

While Anna's spirit of hospitality in waiting with acceptance and endurance allowed her to see Jesus and know what it is like to be in His precious presence. She was so profoundly impacted by this moment of presence with the Prince of Peace that SHE BECAME A WITNESS TO ALL who were waiting with a spirit of welcome and endurance. 

I do hope that you catch the truth that SHE is a FEMALE WITNESSING to ALL who wait. 

We must remember that our waiting should be bathed in a spirit of welcome and hospitality. This is filled with acceptance and endurance for His presence. There are no rules here for male or female. Just wait with a spirit of welcome that is full of hospitality that lives in acceptance and endurance. Then be a faithful witness declaring what you have been in His presence and seen Him for yourself. 

I am learning so much as I study the widow stories. The principles are universal. If I abide in listening and obeying the Holy Spirit, He will guide me to Jesus and I will know peace. This I must share so all can wait with acceptance and endurance for His return.

Both Simeon and Anna were waiting and looking for the Presence of our Salvation in our Great Comforter. That is a principle I need to live by and testify about every single day. 

As for my widow(er) friends, how does this story give you hope? 

What does it show you to do as you process your grief?  

What in it makes your struggle?

How might this story help you with your struggle?

Psalm 79: Praying during a national disaster

Why would I choose a national prayer in time of disaster for a Widow Story set? 

National disasters leave behind widows and orphans. 

We need to know how to pray in the horror of an overwhelming community pain. 

I am learning more and more the older I get that it is never "us versus them", but "good versus evil."

God cares about innocent blood shed. It is safe and good to pray for God to avenge innocent blood.

Calling upon the Glory of His Name brings breakthrough.

Glory is God's weight... strength... power... authority. 

God's Name is God's identity as the One True God... His reputation... His uniqueness from all other little gods. 

He can handle the real, the raw, and honest talk of pain. Go ahead and release it. 

He loves to move for the ones seeking to honor His Glory and Name!

Psalm 13: Prayer Turns Depression to Delight

When Greg and I were in a season that lasted four and half years of loss and grief because of numerous circumstances surrounding us like floods, mom's cancer, several family members dying, company collapse to name a few. I felt like I had forgotten how to praise God.  

So, I set about to study the praise songs of the Bible. I realized that the Psalmists were so real with God. They stated their pain and then they moved to praise and thanksgiving. At the time, I did not know I was learning how to lament. It wasn't a thing back then or if it was no one showed me.

I will use this strategy or process in the Widow's series. We will have a few select Psalms and look at how the Psalmist processed pain and suffering. We will observe their pattern from pain/grief to praise and Thanksgiving.

This simple process is what helped me move from despair to joy. It also radically changed my prayer life. 

This is what I learned from Psalm 13 (TPT). 

David was real, raw, and used honest talk with God. 

He wasn't afraid to ask God questions that could not be answered. 

He told God what He wanted Him to do like "look at me" and "answer me". 

He asked for deliverance and shared His fears.

THEN...

He ends with trust, joy in dance, songs of praise and thanksgiving.

 

Why?  

He knows God sees. 

God hears.

God answers. 

God is His Savior. 

So, David chose not to listen to his enemies! 

Our enemies can be mental, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual.

Using this process with a specific pain through prayer heals us. It settles us and lifts our countenance. 

If you are a widow and are willing to take Psalm 13 and write it out as a prayer, I know it will comfort you. If you are at a place where you are willing to share it so I can use it please message me privately at tara.rye@audioscripture.org.

You are chosen to be "a word"

My dear friend Hensel and I are studying the book of Ephesians together. We were blown away by this old truth, but a new truth to us as of yesterday. 

"He chose us in Him before the creation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4/NIV).

"And in love He chose us before He laid the foundation of the universe!" (Ephesians 1:4/TPT).

Hensel said, "Tara, my Bible has a foot note that says "chose is the Greek word "eklegomai" which is a form of "word" (lego in Greek which means speak).

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I got.

Immediately, I thought of "logos" which is Greek for "the Word" and we know Jesus is called the Word in John 1.  

I then thought of the Hebrew word "davar" or "debar" which implies we must speak, write, illustrate and experience the Word when we engage the Word. 

Then I remembered that Hensel said, "I love that Ephesians has so many "in Christ" moments." So, we decided we will mark all of them. 

The TPT footnote says, "He chose us to be a "word" before the fall of the world." (TPT, pg. 515).

We are called in Christ to be "a word". Not just any word, but a spoken, written, illustrated word that is experienced so that the world will know Him. As we are in Him, we are the living Word of God being made known. The fall broke this. But in Christ we are restored.

We both sat in awe, as we were in the Word. In our hour, we were only able to cover 6 verses of the chapter we were looking at.

We toggled between the TPT and NIV so we could catch the poetry insight along with opportunity for study. Look at how many insights we gathered about God and Jesus in only six verses. The more we saw Him the more we fell in love with Him. It is what enables us to be "in Christ" and become one of His living "words" speaking, writing, illustrating, and experiencing His truth. 

So, I had to go look this up to see if I was on the right track. I was blown away by the connections. Go read more details through this article on this word. I was blown away by their emphasis as well on "togetherness". I think it was their way of showing how "in Christ" is revealed through this word being active in us. 

Seriously, I am blown away "in Christ" by His Word. 

I am also thankful for my ministry partner and friend that is like minded and loves dig as deep as I do and gets as she lives it. I just wish she didnt live over 6,000 miles away. 

https://www.abarim-publications.com/DictionaryG/l/l-e-g-om.html

How to pray for my enemies based on Psalm 83

On Sunday we were studying Psalm 83 in church. I know I was supposed to be listening. I was! I promise! But I also saw a clear prayer pattern for praying for my enemy so I created a list. 

How little did I know that God would have my heart broken for situations around the world and I would need to pray this multiple times yesterday.

As my friend in South Sudan shared about political genocide.

As my friend in Greater South Asia shared of a family member being brutally murdered.

As a friend shared of a friend's dad being killed in the Ukraine. 

Aa my friend in America said, "I need that list."

This what God showed me based on Psalm 83.

1. Ask God to speak.

2. Ask God see your weakness.

3. Ask God to roar.

4. Tell God about your enemy and the circumstance.

5. Ask God to deal with those that conspire.

6. Ask God to stop their leaders as He did before in history.

7. Ask God to let them know their shame so they can know His Name.

8. Ask God to move so they know He is the Most High God.

9. Ask God for His goodness and righteousness to prevail.

Y'all, I often do not feel smart enough to know how to respond or pray when such things are shared with me, but I do know what the Bible shares about God and history during its time frame. The patterns I find in their pain, suffering, and circumstances are universal responses to God. These are truths I can sit on and dwell to find peace and a way to fight in a healthy and holy way.

It is so important to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, so we can be transformed y'all.

Shalom! Shalom y'all!

Caring for widows based on 1 Timothy 5:1-16

As I am studying what Scripture says about caring for widows, some key words are jumping out at me...

Respect

honor

take responsibility

Provide for your own family

Kindness begins at home. 

Paul truly holds us accountable for how we care for our widow's. Especially, those in our own family. Notice how we are to be the guver and not the taker when we serve a widow.

But Paul also gives widows a few things to think about as well.

Widows must be known for...

Putting hope in God

Praying/talking to God all the time

Having taken care of husband 

Raising her children

Hospitality

Encouraging others

Comforting troubled people 

Serving in kindness

It is okay to marry again. This is important to know especially for younger widows.

In both the serving of a widow or a widow in her grief, we are called to a steadfast, reliable, trustworthy, loyal, faithful walk that reveals Christlike integrity. 

Honestly, these lists can feel daunting. Especially, if you are the one in grief or the caretaker of someone in grief. I know from our experience with Papa passing, we had to give each other permission to be real and raw in our pain. This list is not a call to perfection as much as it is a reminder to not forget who we are or who we belong to. 

If we remember, we are children of God, called to die to self, and serve one another, it gives us a purpose in our grief. 

When I love on my mom in her grief, I am loving on Jesus as well. When my mom makes crochet gifts for others or grabs the hand of someone to cause them to stop so she can pray for them it is her way of loving on Jesus. It gives her hope and healing. 

If we take the heart of the message then it makes a way for the widow to move forward in hope, purpose, and healing. 

I would love to hear from any widows

About what you have learned in this season. Please contact me to help me so I am better equipped to love on those I will get to serve.